Research progress on traditional Chinese medicine emotional nursing for drug efficacy and negative emotions in elderly post-gastrointestinal surgery patients

doi:10.4240/wjgs.122391

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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery

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1948-9366

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Gastrointest Surg. Nov 27, 2026; 18(11): 122391
Published online Nov 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.122391

Research progress on traditional Chinese medicine emotional nursing for drug efficacy and negative emotions in elderly post-gastrointestinal surgery patients

Yu-Qian Liu, Jin-Xin Yao, Li-Jun Liu, Yi-Xiao Zhang, Qiu-Yang Ling

Yu-Qian Liu, Jin-Xin Yao, Yi-Xiao Zhang, Department of Rehabilitation Eleven, Navy Qingdao Special Service Sanatorium Center, Qingdao 266071, Shandong Province, China

Li-Jun Liu, Department of Rehabilitation Twelve, Navy Qingdao Special Service Sanatorium Center, Qingdao 266071, Shandong Province, China

Qiu-Yang Ling, Department of Geriatric Rehabilitation, Navy Qingdao Special Service Sanatorium Center, Qingdao 266071, Shandong Province, China

Co-first authors: Yu-Qian Liu and Jin-Xin Yao.

Author contributions: Liu YQ and Yao JX contributed equally to this study as co-first authors, including literature collection, data collation, thematic analysis, and manuscript drafting and revision; Ling QY provided overall research guidance and conducted critical review and final revision of the manuscript; Liu LJ and Zhang YX participated in literature screening, data verification, and manuscript proofreading. All the authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

AI contribution statement: The authors declare that no AI tools were used in the conception, design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or writing of this manuscript. No part of the manuscript text was generated by AI, and no AI-assisted tools (including, but not limited to, ChatGPT, Grammarly, DeepL, Gemini, Claude, or Microsoft Copilot) were used for language editing, translation, writing assistance, data analysis, or image generation. All figures, analyses, interpretations, and revisions were completed solely by the authors, who take full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the manuscript.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Corresponding author: Qiu-Yang Ling, MD, Department of Geriatric Rehabilitation, Navy Qingdao Special Service Sanatorium Center, No. 8 Taipingjiao 2^nd Road, Shinan District, Qingdao 266071, Shandong Province, China. lqy_doctor@163.com

Received: June 12, 2026
Revised: July 14, 2026
Accepted: July 27, 2026
Published online: November 27, 2026
Processing time: 152 Days and 19.2 Hours

Abstract

With an accelerating aging population, the number of elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery is increasing annually. Postoperative pharmacotherapy efficacy and negative emotion management are critical factors that influence patient recovery outcomes. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emotional nursing, centered on the theories of “unity of form and spirit” and “emotional factors contributing to disease”, plays a significant role in optimizing postoperative drug efficacy, alleviating anxiety and depression, and improving qi-blood circulation and visceral functions through targeted emotional regulation. This article systematically reviews the core theories of TCM emotional nursing and its application in elderly patients after gastrointestinal surgery, based on recent domestic and international research. It focuses on analyzing the synergistic effects of TCM emotional nursing on postoperative drug efficacy and interventions for negative emotions while exploring existing research limitations and future directions to provide a reference for clinical nursing practices and related studies in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

Keywords: Traditional Chinese medicine emotional nursing; Geriatric gastrointestinal surgery; Postoperative rehabilitation; Drug synergy; Emotional intervention

Core Tip: This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emotional nursing in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. It discusses the potential benefits of TCM emotional nursing in improving postoperative recovery, enhancing treatment efficacy, alleviating anxiety and depression, relieving pain, and improving overall quality of life. Furthermore, the review analyzes the limitations of existing studies, including methodological weaknesses and insufficient high-quality evidence, and proposes future research directions to promote standardized clinical application and provide stronger evidence for integrating TCM emotional nursing into perioperative care.